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Add warmth and beauty with an area rug

Even though rugs are a design element that we walk all over, they are an important part of your interior environment and a perfect addition to create warmth, definition, and beauty in a room.

Rugs make us feel good in so many ways – by making our feet happy as we move around the house and by adding a warm finishing touch that can be playful or sophisticated, modern or traditional.

Beautiful rugs are functional, too.

Area rugs also add function: They are an acoustical damper, keeping noise down from heavy footsteps and children playing. They also work to square off functional areas of a room; for example, the conversational area of a room and the dining area.

When selecting a rug, take into account the floor under the rug, too. For example, add soft wool to hard wood, smooth silk to rough stone, or thick shag to flat tile.

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It’s clear – a glass table will add interest to a room, whether it’s a dining table, coffee table, console table or occasional table. Glass is a crystal clear choice for a table because it almost disappears. Because there’s no opaque surface breaking sight lines, a glass table makes a room seem larger and it emphasizes:

The texture and weave of your rugs

The beauty of your hardwood or tile floors

The craftsmanship of table legs or pedestals

The personality of collectibles you display on the tabletop

Even how adorable your dogs or cats look sitting under the table!

Glass tables come in all shapes, sizes and styles – even ones that complement traditional interior design styles. Instead of a typical square or rectangular table, think round, oval, hexagonal or freeform. And glass doesn’t have to be crystal clear; it can be colored in so many shades. Also consider a two-level glass table. It’s a beautiful way to display collectibles on the bottom level, yet still have space on top for beverages, snacks and a flower arrangement or two.

Make sure you work with a professional to select a glass top table. Tempered glass should be thick enough for your table’s function, and should be beveled or curved on the edges. Also make sure the glass has no nicks or chips. In terms of practicality, glass tables are easy to clean; however, they do show fingerprints and dust. Open up your interior living space with a glass table. It’s clearly an excellent choice!

For more ideas and help with your next design project, contact us here at Delux Drapery & Shade Co.

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The long Michigan winter is almost over, which leaves us all with the same question: what now?

If you were stuck inside all winter like many of us were, you probably got very acquainted with your window treatments. If your cabin fever has you itching to redo them, Delux Drapery & Shade Co. in Ann Arbor, Michigan has some ideas to set you on your way.

Go Cellular

Whether you’re environmentally conscious or just conscious of your own budget, it’s safe to say that we’re all trying to conserve energy in one way or another this year. Did you know that your window treatments can help you do that? Hunter Douglas offers a variety of honeycomb and cellular shades, which on top of fulfilling your needs for light filtering, can also save you some hard-earned cash. The hollow pockets, similar to honeycombs, within cellular shades actually trap air coming in from outside, providing much-needed insulation to your home. Particularly once the temperatures start fluctuating in the spring, these shades can keep the temperature in your home consistent without you having the fiddle with the thermostat.

Go Motorized

We’ve all seen the cheesy infomercials for motorized outdoor awnings that aired in the 1980’s and 1990’s. But that, thankfully, wasn’t the end for motorized window treatments. They’ve come a long way, and Hunter Douglas is on the cutting edge of their improvement. If you truly want to keep up with the times, consider getting motorized window treatments. Not only are Hunter Douglas’s PowerView® motorized window treatments convenient, they’re also a technological marvel. By installing the PowerView® app, you can control your window treatments from anywhere in the world that has Wi-Fi all from your smartphone or tablet. If that isn’t stepping into the future, what is?

Go Bold

You don’t have to revitalize your energy bill or how “smart” your house is to partake in some of the rebirth this season is famous for. If you want to revitalize your style instead, why not order a set of Hunter Douglas roller shades for your home? Roller shades are a wonderful confluence of design sensibilities, from the retro silhouette of their design, to their large variety of fabrics. Roller shades are made of one contiguous piece of fabric, and since that fabric isn’t obstructed by pleats or vanes, you can show off large, bold prints or patterns on your shades, which are all the rage this year.

Did any of these tips get you thinking about how to redo your window treatments? If so, stop by Delux Drapery & Shade Co. in Ann Arbor, Michigan to get started on revitalizing your home today. We also proudly serve Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Howell, Brighton, all of Washtenaw County and all surrounding communities.

Light up your home with mood-inspiring candles.

Warm up the mood in your living environment by adding candles to your décor. They’re perfect for the cold winter months and continue to add beauty all year long.

Candles add soft light to a room and create a sense of serenity. Best of all, they add atmosphere and romance. Candles come in most any shape, size and color – from small votive candles to large, tall candles that can sit on the floor and become a focal point of a room.

Candles add interest to almost any room and can be displayed in many places in a room, including on:

Think about using candles in pairs or even larger groups, with candles of differing sizes and shapes.

Always make safety a priority when you decorate with candles. Make sure, candles are at a distance from anything that could be flammable and that they sit on a heat-resistant surface. And be vigilant about putting them out before you leave the house or go to bed. Or, use any of the many flame-less candles that are as beautiful as they are safe.

Lighten and brighten your home environment by adding beautiful candles this season. For more ideas and help with your next design project, contact us here at Delux Drapery & Shade Co.

The clean, classic look of Hunter Douglas plantation shutters is a great choice for any home. Custom shutters allow for a wide array of options for even the most unique window or door. Choose from wood or synthetic material that can be stained or painted to match the existing décor.

French Doors

Plantation shutters are a great way to accent french doors. One advantage to plantation shutters on french doors over blinds is that blinds tend to sway and bang against the door as it opens and can even get caught in the door. Plantation shutters stay put. They work with any type of door handle by customizing cut outs to individual door handles.

Sliding Glass doors

Installing plantation shutters as a window treatment for sliding glass doors is a great way to give a sophisticated look to a room while optimizing privacy and light. Hunter Douglas shutters come in three collections that can all be made with installation systems uniquely for patio and sliding glass doors.

Closet Doors

Plantation shutters are an interesting way to give a crisp, modern look to a bedroom. With their streamlined look, architectural interest and the ability to close the louvers tightly to block the contents of the closet from view, they are a great solution for closet doors.

Room Dividers

A cost effective and fun option for basements, attics, or home offices, plantation shutters are ideal for creating separate spaces where no walls exist. Plantation shutters can be custom made into floor to ceiling room dividers, lending a high-end, contemporary look to your home renovation project.

Materials and Finishes

Hunter Douglas uses three distinct materials for plantation shutters. Their hardwood shutters are crafted from real wood and use dovetail construction for increased durability. They come in a wide array of colors and finishes to suit any room in your home.

Hybrid shutters give the look of hardwood but the strength and durability of advanced modern day materials.

Hunter Douglas UV resistant shades are a great idea for high moisture areas like the kitchen or the bathroom. They are guaranteed to never fade, chip, warp or peel, regardless of heat or moisture exposure.

Operating Systems

Depending on exactly where your shutters are in your home, there may be a need for different ways to open or adjust them. Here are a few options offered by Hunter Douglas.

A traditional front-mounted tilt bar is the standard on plantation shutters. The centered tilt bar is used to close the louvers up or down tightly against one another. Hunter Douglas also offers a rear mounted tilt bar, which is barely visible from the front of the shutter.

Hinged panels can be hinged both together and to the window frame. T-posts in the center of the window opening can be added to increase design possibilities.

A bi-fold track option available on all Hunter Douglas shutter products allows for up six panels to be hinged together. Bypass track allows shutter panels to slide past each other on top tracks to open and close. Both track options are safe choices for doorways.

Frame Styles

The frame is an important finishing touch for plantation shutters. Some style options include inside and outside mounts, as well as decorative casings and trims.

The professional designers at Delux Drapery and Shade Company can assist you in choosing the right design options for your home. We are located in Ann Arbor, MI and service Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Howell, Brighton, all of Washtenaw County and all surrounding communities.

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This beautiful design element attracts more attention than clear glass and can change the mood in a room.

When most of us think of glass objects, whether they’re for interior design or not, we think of clear materials. And most of us think of glass as an invisible part of our décor.

Colored glass can add light, reflection and sparkle to your home plan, all because of how sunlight or your own interior lighting interacts with the surfaces.

Stained glass windows are an obvious choice. They’ve been popular for many centuries, bringing brightly colored light into ancient castles, homes and religious buildings. Stained glass can add vintage style to your home or create a touch that’s modern to the max. And stained glass can be custom designed for the exact size and shape of your windows to provide a truly unique design element.

If you’re not up for stained glass, consider using window glass with a soft violet, golden or green hue to soften the quality of light coming in, especially in rooms that get a lot of sun or in powder rooms, entries and hallways.
Think outside the window! Colored glass can be used for so much more than just windows, including:

Coffee tables and dining tables

Chandeliers

Lamps

A display of glass vases, bowls, bottles or figurines

Colored glass crystals on the floor of your fireplace

Tile and floor accents

Even wind chimes, garden sculpture and tile in the garden

Colored glass is the clear choice for a design update this year. It adds touches of light and sparkle to your interior décor!

Many of us have feelings of stress because we’re overwhelmed by the demands in our lives. What better goal to consider in your home decorating plans than to create a home environment that’s calming and relaxing, both on the eyes and on the soul.

Simple doesn’t mean plain or unattractive. Simple design can create a sophisticated, traditional, elegant look or a modern, minimalist feel. The bottom line is reducing chaos and over-decoration, and minimizing clutter and confusion.

Plan only one or two focal points per room, so you can really “see” the beauty, rather than having a hodge podge of color and design elements.

Limit the number of colors in your design and stick with gentle colors, rather than bold primary colors.

Make color transitions gentle. Avoid making too strong a statement between dark and light colors, such as black and white. (However, keep in mind that you may want energizing colors in a room; for example, in a kitchen or home office where you’d like to be engaged and active.)

Once you’ve created a simple, clean design, enjoy it! Allow yourself relaxing time to read a book or watch your favorite TV show, without answering the phone or responding to text messages. Spend time with your family or friends in a quiet way, without over planning your activities.

Achieving a calm and simple home environment can help you find peace of mind every day.

Ever thought about using mirrors as a design element rather than just as a functional tool to check your look before you leave the house? Mirrors look beautiful in almost any room, not just the bathroom or entry way. And sometimes they have no function at all; for example, if they’re composed of lots of small panes or have a distressed surface that’s hard to view a reflection from.

Mirrors come in all shapes, sizes and frame styles to complement any décor.

The look of a mirror adds pizazz, while the reflective nature of the glass makes a room appear larger and can also make a room seem lighter and more airy.

A mirror can be the focus of a room or it can be a point of side interest.

Sometimes you don’t even have to hang mirrors on the wall! A very large mirror that goes almost from floor to ceiling can be propped against a wall, but do make sure it’s secure and won’t fall down. You can also group several mirrors to anchor a wall.

Then there’s the issue of the frame.

A frame can be the major focal point of a mirror and take up a lot of the square footage or it can be very simple, letting the glass surface be the star. Frames can be made of wood, metal, ceramic, tile, lacquer or stone. Or a mirror can even be frameless.

Think about adding mirrors to your décor this spring. They will literally be a reflection of your own design style!

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With all the hype surrounding Star Wars, we thought we’d have a little fun with it so…

Follow Us To The Dark Side….

Dark colors have a bad reputation in general, and are rarely used in abundance in most homes. Let’s try to change that by pointing out the myths about using dark colors in interior design.
There is a myth that painting wall in a dark color makes a room look smaller, but that’s not always the case. When it comes to windows, size does matter; if a room has plenty of light coming in through the windows, using dark colored paint or wallpaper on the walls, with dark colored furniture can work just fine. Even if the windows are small and don’t let as much light needed to illuminate the décor, using more lighting in the space will fix the problem. Also depending on the shape of a room, some dark colors can give the illusion of depth, especially if we add sheen or add lacquer to walls.Another myth states that a room that uses all dark colors will only feel depressing. We would have to disagree. If that was true, you wouldn’t see so many designers resorting to using dark colored walls as we’ve been seeing lately. There are so many interesting effects dark colors can add to a room; they add an elegance and luxurious touch, as well as being able to make a room look magically dramatic and mysterious.
But just in case, here are more helpful tips to master the “dark side” design. Choosing glossy, or lacquered dark paint on the walls instead of matte colors will make them look more interesting. If wallpaper is what you’d rather choose, pick glossy wallpapers, glittery ones, or a wallpaper with a 3d effect. Another helpful tip when using dark colors in a room is to add mirrors, lots of mirrors if possible, to minimize the “cave effect” associated with dark rooms.
So now you see, the dark side isn’t that scary after all.